Thomas Lincoln Tally
Thomas Lincoln Tally | |
|---|---|
Thomas L. Tally, 1935 | |
| Born | Thomas Lincoln Tally July 6, 1861 |
| Died | November 24, 1945 (aged 84) United States |
| Occupation(s) | Film producer, businessman |
| Spouse | Mary A. |
| Children | Seymour Tally (1889–1976) |
Thomas Lincoln Tally (July 6, 1861 – November 24, 1945) was an early motion picture theater proprietor.
Tally opened Tally's Electric Theater on April 17, 1902, making it likely the world's first permanent theatre specifically designed for movies. The Great Train Robbery was so successful in this theater than Tally sold the theater in order to travel with and exhibit the film.
With James Dixon Williams, Tally founded First National Pictures. In 1912, he became the first proprietor to show a color movie in Los Angeles, and he was also the first person to sign Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford to movie contracts.
In 1919, Tally bought Kinema Theatre for approx. $650,000 ($11.8 million in 2024) and renamed it Tally's Kinema Theatre.